Environment groups have criticised a new CSIRO report looking at offsetting emissions from proposed gas extraction in the Northern Territory.

The report explores options for offsetting greenhouse emissions produced by extracting gas from the Beetaloo Basin, should the NT government approve it.

The groups have criticised the inclusion of carbon capture and storage among the measures.

“This technology has never worked at scale, has a track record of failure, and is being used by the gas industry to justify opening up new gas fields like the Beetaloo,” NT Environment Centre executive director Kirsty Howey said.

Tweet from @kirsty_howey

CSIRO researchers spent two years mapping out greenhouse gas emissions for five different scenarios for gas extraction, and the best ways to deal with them.

The research was supported by an alliance of state, territory and federal governments and gas industry producers called the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance.

Apart from carbon capture and storage, the report also recommended options such as Indigenous fire management and reforestation, but did not include their economic viability as part of the research.

The work was defended by Damian Barrett, director of the research alliance and also of the CSIRO’s Energy Resources Research program.

“CSIRO scientists have delivered a precise and detailed technical analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with … Beetaloo Basin, and important information about realistic mitigation and offset options,” he said.

“CSIRO stands behind the quality of its research and the integrity of its peer review process.”

The report comes just as gas industry representatives told the ABC they expect the NT government to approve fracking in the Beetaloo Basin in the next month.

In 2018, a report gave the NT government 135 recommendations to manage climate risks associated with fracking.

However, the government still has not implemented 35 of these.

-AAP